Indian Voices of the Great War : Soldiers' Letters, 1914-18

Rating:
Summary: WW1--an unfamiliar view
Review: This book is a collection of letters between Indian soldiers and their families in the First World War, translated into English from the various languages in which they were originally written. Many thousands of soldiers from what was then the British Empire fought for the Allies in WW1, and a large number of them came from India--Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. They had enlisted for traditional warfare in South Asia, and nothing could have prepared them for what they found when they arrived in the trenches of the Western Front. Their accounts of their experiences are fascinating, powerful and moving. David Omissi, the editor, provides an excellent introduction and gives useful background information. I strongly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: WW1--an unfamiliar view
Review: This book is a collection of letters between Indian soldiers and their families in the First World War, translated into English from the various languages in which they were originally written. Many thousands of soldiers from what was then the British Empire fought for the Allies in WW1, and a large number of them came from India--Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. They had enlisted for traditional warfare in South Asia, and nothing could have prepared them for what they found when they arrived in the trenches of the Western Front. Their accounts of their experiences are fascinating, powerful and moving. David Omissi, the editor, provides an excellent introduction and gives useful background information. I strongly recommend this book.